Web rewind spindle



June 1967 N. KONDUR, JR

. WEB REWIND SPINDLE Filed Oct. 22, 1965 INVENTOR. NICHOLAS KONDUR,JR.

ATTORNEX United States Patent 3,323,745 WEB REWIND SPINDLE Nicholas Kondur, In, Northville, Mich., assignor to Burroughs Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 501,840 6 Claims. (Cl. 24272.1)

This invention is directed to a rewind spindle for releasably retaining a rolled up web of business machine journal paper.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved rewind spindle which is readily separable from a web rolled about its periphery.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rewind spindle having a variable profile.

A further object of this invention is to provide a rigid rewind spindle having a retractable periphery facilitating its longitudinal separation from a web wound thereabout.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a. side elevation of the invention, broken in part and proximate to one of its ends, showing a portion of the spindle body and the web retaining blade in position to receive and be separated from the web;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the invention in the position shown in FIG. 1;

. FIG. 3 is a side view of the entire web retaining blade, broken in part;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the invention, broken in part and proximate the other end of its ends, showing a portion of the spindle body, the web retaining blade, and the web in rewind position; and

FIG. 5 is an end view of the invention in the position shown in FIG. 4.

My rewind spindle comprises two elongated, rigid elements secured together to permit significant lateral displacement of their axes, such that the peripheral profile of the spindle is changeable from ovular to substantially circular. The web is rewound upon the spindle while it is forced into the ovular condition. Subsequent thereto, the spindle is retracted into a substantially circular profile of shorter circumference, thus enabling the wound up web to be longitudinally separated from the spindle. Once separated, the wound up portion of the web can be stored away and the spindle reused: i.e., associated with a new portion of the web as it passes through the business machine.

The first element of my rewind spindle is a tubular body 9 which, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, has an interior surface 11 having a radius of curvature generated from an axis X. The circular profile of the tube 9 is interrupted by a relatively wide slot 13 that runs the entire length of the body. The slot 13 is defined by a pair of parallel edges 15 which extend into the hollow tube and are connected to the interior surface 11 by a pair of lateral ledges or seats 17. As a result, the interior surface 11 intermediate seats 17 has a semicircular profile. As shown in FIG. 1 by the dashed line representing the seats 17, the seats terminate short of the ends of the tube, leave the interior surface 11 free of irregularity at the tube ends, and thereby provide the interior surface with a circular profile separated only by the edges 15. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, a pair of longitudinally displaced cylindrical passages 19 penetrate the interior of the tube opposite the slot 13. Also, the ends of the tube preferably are chamfered as designated by the reference numeral 21.

The second element of this rewind spindle is a web receiving blade 23 which substantially fits within the tubular body 9. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the blade has a semicircular crown somewhat congruent with the semicircular interior surface 11 of the tubular body. The pro- 3,323,745 Patented June 6, 1967 file of the blade 23 is reduced just beneath the crown 25 to form a pair of shoulders 27 which limit upon the seats 17. The remainder of the blade takes the form of a bifurcated web retaining stem 29 having a pair of outward facing surfaces 31 slideable between the tube edges 15, a pair of inward facing surfaces 33, and a pair of exterior facets 35 formed therebetween. The inward surfaces 33 define a web receiving and retaining channel 37 into which the leading edge of the web is insertable.

The crown 25 contains a pair of longitudinally spaced parallel bores 39 into each of which is secured a retaining pin 41. As shown in the several figures, the pins extend beyond the crown and ride within the passages 19 of the tube to enable the blade 23 to be laterally shifted with respect to the tube without danger of either longitudinal or rotational displacement.

As readily seen from FIGS. 3 and 4, the blade 23 is not as long as the tube 9 and in fact stops adjacent the longitudinal terminus of the seats 17. However, the blade has a longitudinally extending lip 43 projecting beyond each of its ends such that the lips, which preferably are chamfered, terminate flush with the chamfered ends 21 of the tube. The channel 37 extends through each lip causing it also to be bifurcated. The lips have an interior surface 45 which is arcuate and has a radius of curvature which is generated about an axis Y. This radius of curvature is the same as that of the interior surface 11 of the tubular body 9. Accordingly, the blade 23 is mounted such that it is laterally shiftable from a position in which its axis Y is eccentric with the axis X of the tube, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, to a position of concentricity, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In the former position, the interior surface 45 of the lips 43 are inset with respect to the interior surface 11 of the tube 9; whereas, in the latter position, the arcuate surface 45 of the lips is contiguous with the surface 11 of the tube and, in combination therewith, form a complete circular interior surface. As a result, in the axially eccentric position, the facets 35 of the blade substantially complete the circular profile of the tube and cause the spindle to have a circular cross section; however, in the axially concentric position, the facets 35 project significantly beyond the tube edges 15 and cause the spindle to take on a generally ovular cross section having a greater circumference than in the eccentric position.

To utilize my rewind spindle, the business machine op erator grasps both the spindle and the leading edge of the web and inserts the web into the channel 37. Depending upon the thickness and stiffness of the web, it may be advisable to first fold back its leading edge, as illustrated in FIG. 5, so that once inserted the web frictionally coacts with the blade surfaces 33 to reduce slippage therebetween. The operator next winds a few turns of the web about the spindle. Though not mandatory, the spindle would probably be collapsed; i.e., in the axially eccentric position during the web insertion and manual winding steps.

The spindle is then mounted into the business machine between a pair of journal boxes 47 of conventional design. The journal boxes each carry a longitudinally moveable journal shaft 49 having a circular cross section the radius of which is the same as the radius of curvature of the interior surfaces 11 and 45 of the tube 9 and lips 43 respectively. The end of the journal shaft is preferably chamfered such that as it is being longitudinally moved against the ends of the tube and the blade, their chamfered surfaces will form camming surfaces which will align the axis X of the tube with respect to that of the journal shaft. Also, and most importantly, the insertion of the journal shaft causes its surface to impinge upon the interior surface 45 of the lip 43 and force the facets 35 of the lip to project significantly from the periphery of the tube 9 until the interior surface 45 becomes contiguous with the interior surface 11. In this manner, the spindle is forced to assume and retain an ovular profile upon which the web is to be Wound. To provide positive coupling between the journal shaft 49 and the tube 9, they may be respectively provided with keys 51 insertable into key slots 53.

To separate the web from the spindle, the journal shafts are longitudinally retracted and the web carrying spindle is removed from the journal boxes. Since the journal shafts 49 are no longer forcing the lips 43 laterally outward, the blade 23 normally returns, or by slight manual pressure near its ends is returned, to the eccentric position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Hence, the periphery if the spindle becomes sufliciently smaller than the inner windings of the web to enable the spindle to be longitudinally separated from the rolled up web.

Because of the similar profiles of the crown 25 of the blade and the adjacent interior surface 11 of the tube, and the use of the retaining pins 41, there is little chance that the blade 23 might become laterally immobile within the tube 9. The seats 17 and shoulders 27 prevent the two elements from becoming laterally separated.

Although my rewind spindle has been described and illustrated with particular detail, it will be understood that variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1 claim:

1. A web rewind spindle comprising:

a longitudinally slotted tube of circular cross section, the slot being defined throughout the length of the tube by parallel edges thereof which are separated by a substantial arcuate length, and

a cylindrical web receiving member longitudinally fixed within the tube and laterally shiftable from a concentric to an eccentric position with respect to the axis of the tube,

said member having a bifurcated web receiving portion exposed through said slot, the periphery of said portion projecting significantly beyond the said edges of the slot in the tube when said member is concentrically positioned, the ends of said member each having a longitudinally protruding lip of arcuate interior cross section equal to the interior radius of the tube and having an arcuate length that effectively completes the circular profile of the tube when the member is concentrically positioned.

2. A web rewind spindle comprising:

a longitudinally slotted tube of circular cross section, the slot being defined throughout the length of the tube by parallel edges thereof which are separated by a substantial arcuate length, and

a cylindrical web receiving member longitudinally fixed within the tube and laterally shiftable from a concentric to an eccentric position with respect to the' axis of the tube,

said member having a bifurcated web receiving portion exposed through said slot, the periphery of said portion projecting significantly beyond the edges of the tube when said member is concentrically positioned,

said member having longitudinal positioning and lateral guiding means extending therefrom opposite said web receiving portion in lateral sliding contact with said tube.

3. A web rewind spindle securable and rotatable within a business machine and while therein having an ovular web receiving periphery which, when the spindle is removed from the business machine, is retractable to a substantially circular shape thereupon enabling the longitudinal separation of the spindle from the wound up web comprising:

a tubular body of which at least the end portions have an inner surface of circular cross section;

said end portions having arcuate segments defined by parallel edges of said tube demarcating the radial limits of a longitudinal slot;

21 web receiving blade mounted within said tube and inset from said circular end portions;

said blade having a semicircular crown and a laterally extending bifurcated portion dependent therefrom; said bifurcated portion having a pair of exterior side walls closely fitting between said parallel edges of said tube, a pair of interior side walls defining therebetween a web retaining channel, and a pair of facets connecting each said exterior side wall to each said interior side wall;

said blade additionally possessing lips extending longitudinally from said facets toward said end portions and having an interior surface of circular cross section similar to that of said end portions;

said interior surface of the lips being laterally shiftable, filling the position of said slot, and projecting said facets significantly beyond the periphery of said tube when said spindle is secure in the business machine.

4. A rewind spindle according to claim 3 further including:

a plurality of parallel guide means radially extending from said crown, and

guide means receivers formed within said tubular body in relative lateral sliding contact with said guide means.

5. A rewind spindle according to claim 3 in which:

said crown and said blade have formed therebetween a pair of shoulders, and

said tube has a longitudinally extending, inward turned ledge inset from said end portions and in the lateral path of said shoulders preventing the lateral separation of said blade from said tube. a

6. A rewind spindle according to claim 3 in which:

said inner surface of said tube is generated by a first radius about a first axis, and

said interior surface of said lips is generated by a second radius, equal to said first radius, about a second axis which is concentric with said first axis during web receiving and eccentric during separation from the web.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 833,481 10/1906 Paugh 24272.1 1,209,593 12/1916 Keiser 242--74.1

FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

N. L. MINTZ, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A WEB REWIND SPINDLE COMPRISING: A LONGITUDINALLY SLOTTED TUBE OF CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION, THE SLOT BEING DEFINED THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF THE TUBE BY PARALLEL EDGES THEREOF WHICH ARE SEPARATED BY A SUBSTANTIAL ARCUATE LENGTH, AND A CYLINDRICAL WEB RECEIVING MEMBER LONGITUDINALLY FIXED WITHIN THE TUBE AND LATERALLY SHIFTABLE FROM A CONCENTRIC TO AN ECCENTRIC POSITION WITH RESPECT TO THE AXIS OF THE TUBE, SAID MEMBER HAVING A BIFURCATED WEB RECEIVING PORTION EXPOSED THROUGH SAID SLOT, THE PERIPHERY OF SAID PORTION PROJECTING SIGNIFICANTLY BEYOND THE SAID EDGES OF THE SLOT IN THE TUBE WHEN SAID MEMBER IS CONCENTRICALLY POSITIONED, THE ENDS OF SAID MEMBER EACH HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY PROTRUDING LIP OF ARCUATE INTERIOR CROSS SECTION EQUAL TO THE INTERIOR RADIUS OF THE TUBE AND HAVING AN ARCUATE LENGTH THAT EFFECTIVELY COMPLETES THE CIRCULAR PROFILE OF THE TUBE WHEN THE MEMBER IS CONCENTRICALLY POSITIONED. 